Bill O'Reilly vs. The Honorable Barnett Frank, Congressman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Obama on Olbermann's Worst Person List

And rightly so... dude forgot which anniversary he and his wife were about to share.

XKCD: Brain

Not today's, but oh so true.

McCain's Healthcare Solution: Wal-Mart

House defeats bailout

The US House of Representatives voted down a $700 billion emergency relief package today. The markets reacted sharply with the DOW Jones Industrial Average dropping over 700 points alone.

The bailout measure is massively unpopular on both sides, although leaders in both parties urged its passing to stave off further financial collapse. The bill would give the Secretary of the Treasury unprecedented power with little oversight, making many lawmakers and citizens uncomfortable.

Bailout Vote: Obama plans to attend, McCain "hopes" he can make it

After all that fuss about suspending campaigns and boycotting bills, the "Bailout Bill" is up for a vote today. Both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have issued press releases. Barack Obama will be at the vote and is planning on supporting the bill, but is still reviewing the final details. John McCain "hopes" he can vote on the bill, but he'll have to check his schedule.

New meaning for "On the rocks"

Nordic Rock stone ice cubes work just like regular ice cubes, except they are made of rock, and don't melt. Throw them in the freezer for an hour and then keep your drinks cool without watering them down.

Dude, where's my.... PENIS?!?!?!?

Apparently, a man filed a lawsuit earlier this month against his urologist, claiming that during a procedure performed Oct 19, 2007 to treat "inflammation," his penis was amputated without his consent. The 61-year old man and his wife are suing for loss of services, love, and affection. I thought about posting a pic here, but for the sake of everyone, I won't.

McCain wins debate!?

Now don't be fooled for a moment by the fact that this image is hosted on Comedy Central. I was, I thought to myself, "self, that's a fun joke".

As Dennis DeClaudio comments at CC:

"See that? You don't smile victoriously in front of a Photoshopped flag like that unless you know you're the shit."

Then I found out it was real. Like an actual campaign ad. Like people's hard earned money turned into campaign contributions funded this.

In fact it's already run on the Wall Street Journal website.

Washington Post carries the story here. See a screenshot of the advertisement on the Wall Street Journal here.

I really need a jetpack

This Power Ranger wants to jump out of a plane with a freaking jet pack and fly across the English Channel.

By the way, this is a real photo of him in flight. He's actually that bad ass.

Colbert and Stewart Throw Aside the Sarcasm

Love these guys.

Sorry Mr. President

Clay Aiken is what?!

Yup that's right.... in a breaking news story, amidst a shattering economy and a historic presidential election, the big news story is that Clay Aiken is gay.
And in other, more surprising news, the sky happens to be blue.

Clay states that the birth of his son Parker (conceived through in vitro fertilization with his 50 year old "best friend") inspired him to be truthful about his true identity.

A new version of the American Dream: "Look, honey, our very own... box!?"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/24/container.homes.ap/index.html

"It was a side trip through a destitute, ramshackle neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that detoured Brian McCarthy from building houses in Albuquerque to an idea to offer the very poor a chance to own a home.

His answer lies in a humble steel shipping container, 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, 8.5 feet tall.

When drawings and color pictures of the prototype were shown around a poor Juarez neighborhood, people said, 'You know it'd be like a dream to live in one of these,' Nava said. 'You know, just the thought of having nice fresh air ventilating through the house, a large bed ... a normal kitchen and a safe home that locks and closes each night was more than appealing.'"

Or, you could just go live in the back of a shipyard...

Apocalypse delayed for at least a few weeks

The Large Hadron Collider had to be shut down after a helium leak and some faulty wiring were discovered. The repair process involves several weeks of warming up the LHC followed by several weeks cooling down the apparatus. So, for the next few months at least, the apocalypse has been delayed.

No word on whether further delays will push the operational date to 12 December 2012.

Psst... wanna buy an HDTV?

The current economic crisis has lead to a drastic reduction in consumer spending. HDTV manufacturers are doing their best to move product. In what is being called "the slowest week since 9/11," you will be able to find HDTVs that are reduced in price by a few hundred dollars.

Presidential Debates Schedule

The International Herald Tribune offers a brief write-up on the Presidential Debate Schedule. All four debates will start at 9pm EST and last for about 90 minutes.

XKCD: Tones

It frustrates me to no end that most mobile phones don't come prepackaged with a normal ring tone.

The road plays on... and on...

Hiyo, silver Honda, away!

"Persons driving the posted 55 miles an hour west on Avenue K, in the high desert about five miles west of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway, hear about 38 musical notes of the well-known theme, also known as the overture to 'The Lone Ranger.'"

http://cbs2.com/local/William.Tell.Road.2.822008.html

I am the French, you are the French...

...we are the French together.

"[While] we're still willing to work ourselves to death for the privilege of paying off our usurious credit cards, we can no longer look contemptuously at the land of 246 cheeses. Kraft Foods has replaced American International Group in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the insurance company having been added to Paulson's nationalized portfolio. Macaroni and cheese has supplanted credit default swaps at the fulcrum of capitalism. And one more thing: the food snob French love McDonalds, which does a fantastic business there. They know a good freedom fry when they taste one."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1843168,00.html?cnn=yes

Peter, Bjorn, and John: Young Folks

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks
by spiderfan

A great song that you'll be whistling for days.

McCain pulls a Palin with SEC chair promise

"The regulators were asleep, my friends," McCain said. "The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president, and in my view, has betrayed the public trust. If I were president today, I would fire him."

Senator John McCain promised that if he were president, he would fire the SEC chair. While the president nominates the SEC chair, he cannot actually dismiss the commissioner of an independent regulatory commission.

It has been an interesting week for the McCain-Palin campaign.

XKCD: The Staple Madness

Staple Guns: Because duct tape just doesn't have that satisfying kachunk.

Palin's plan previously proposed and passed by Obama

“We’re going to do a few new things also,” [Sarah Palin] said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. “For instance, as Alaska’s governor, I put the government’s checkbook online so that people can see where their money’s going. We’ll bring that kind of transparency, that responsibility, and accountability back. We’re going to bring that back to D.C.”

That's great, but there is just this one little thing - Barack Obama already did that back in 2006 when Palin was busy running for governor. Oh, and John McCain was a co-sponsor.

Guilty as charged

"Wallstreet got drunk" Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb(ed economy)

As of this morning, the federal government has put up about a trillion dollars of taxpayer money to float failing corporations who made risky investments through smoke-in-mirrors accounting. That would be more than 10% of the national debt for those who bother to keep track.

Robert Reich says it best:

We tell poor nations they have to make their financial markets transparent before capital will flow to them. Let's practice what we preach. Far better to regulate financial markets to keep them honest than to keep bailing them out.

More here

Ford unveils 65 mpg car, but it's not for you!

Ford unveiled its 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic model that's due out in November. The car is a subcompact that seats five, has a built-in navigation system, gets 65 mpg, and isn't available in the US.

The car runs on diesel; while more efficient, the fuel has a tax meant for commercial trucks between 40 cents and a dollar.

"Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient."

In spite of that information, Americans still think of diesel as "the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers."

I guess this answers why American auto manufacturers export all of the cool cars.

Yes we can; but you can't.

Obama tells supporters he still believes in an America where anything is possible, once we ditch that good-for-nothing Nate.

"'What a Loser' added Obama"

Its the Economy, Stupid; No seriously, it actually is.

"Quit Doling Out That Bad-Economy Line" writes Donald Luskin in an op-ed in the Washington Post this weekend. Like the nation of whiners gaffe, Luskin is just another advisor to the McCain who would like us to wake up and realize that we're "a nation of exaggerators", in our apparent screaming panic over today's economy. Well Donald, will the rise in oil prices place thousands of families at risk of freezing to death this winter if LiHEAP can't come through for them? Or what about the strain when many more children will rely on school lunch programs amidst rising food prices? I think Mother Jones nailed the issue on its head when it called Luskin's editorial one of the worst-timed ever. Only a few hours later the largest instance of Bankruptcy in American history was declared by one of her largest financial institutions. Doesn't capital flow swimmingly?
Instead, perhaps a more sober assessment is in order.

Greenspan: Worst economy I've ever seen

Former Fed chief Alan Greenspan said that the economy is the worst he's ever seen it and that the current economic crisis might be a "once in a century" event. With the recent take overs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the floundering auto industry, and the 158-years-old Lehman Brothers investment firm teetering on the brink of collapse, the economic situation has taken a turn for the worse.

Greenspan offers his insight into the state of the economy and what the government should or should not do.

Rove: some McCain ads don't pass 100% truth test

Karl Rove said some of the McCain advertisements concerning Obama don't necessarily pass the "100% truth test." When even Karl Rove is saying you might be stretching the truth a bit much, you probably have a problem.

"In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove — the man who held the previous record — said McCain's ads have gone too far," said campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor

SNL - Sarah Palin as portrayed by Tina Fey

Tina Fey could not have been more dead-on.

Sarah Palin - a little on her time in Alaska

The New York Times presents a fairly comprehensive investigation into Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin's tenure as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska.

A few highlights:

"In 1997, Ms. Palin fired the longtime city attorney, Richard Deuser, after he issued the stop-work order on a home being built by Don Showers, another of her campaign supporters."

"The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government."

"Democrats and Republicans alike describe her as often missing in action. Since taking office in 2007, Ms. Palin has spent 312 nights at her Wasilla home, some 600 miles to the north of the governor’s mansion in Juneau, records show."

McCain barbs stirring outcry as distortions

Senator John McCain has long sought to portray the image of a straight-talking maverick who is above the old Washington politics. Lately, he has abandoned that in favor of stretching the truth or even outright lying about Senator Barack Obama to a point where he is drawing criticism from Republicans.

"Mr. McCain has been increasingly called out by news organizations, editorial boards and independent analysts like FactCheck.org. The group, which does not judge whether one candidate is more misleading than another, has cried foul on Mr. McCain more than twice as often since the start of the political conventions as it has on Mr. Obama."

Well that's one way to pay off your college debt...

So I know the west coast is supposed to be a little more laid back than us uptight East Coasters, but this just takes the cake: A 22 year old San Diego woman who has just graduated from college is planning to auction off her virginity. She made the decision to do so because she wants to finance her undergrad degree and hopefully have enough left over to pay her way through a masters program. Ebay rejected her, so she will be holding the auction at the Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel in Nevada. I'm not sure if this should be sparking controversy over the fact that this woman finds it "empowering" to sell her virginity or over the skyrocketing cost of education that caused her to do so!

HP doesn't like Vista either...

The super-huge computer manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, is reportedly researching the possibility of creating an OS to compete against the widely un-accepted Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System.
Obviously it would be based on Linux and feature proprietary software/drivers so that it can compete in today's markets. It would also feature a slew of open source software and cost significantly less than many of the Windows based computers currently available on the market.

Thank God computer manufacturers, especially one this big, are finally realizing that they are putting crap on their machines they sell.

Happy Birthday, Microchip!

Today the very thing, a microchip, that allows me to bring this news to you via the internet, turns 50.

Holy Toast!

You may remember a toasted cheese sandwich that fetched $28,000 when marked with the appearance of the holy mother, but now you can toast any toastness into the toast you please. I'll be dipping Chuck Norris into a hot bowl of tomato soup later - not so tough now, are you?

Signs This is an Exciting Election:

When everday, cute, animal-featured comic strips get political (even though Conley is known to make his opinions apparent through the strip often).

Governor Palin's first interview as a VP candidate

Governor Palin sits down with Charles Gibson at ABC for the first of a three-part interview yesterday. This part deals with foreign policy issues focused specifically on Iran, Israel and the Bush Doctrine. I'd embed it but that's just way to complicated for ABC news.

Porn on a Plane

I want this motherfucking porn off this motherfucking plane.

With the advent of WiFi access on planes, the issue of porn is rearing its ugly, goatse head. Ars has the story.

YouTube bans terrorist training videos

Apparently terrorists have been fully embracing Web 2.0 and using YouTube for their devious training purposes. No worries - YouTube is banning their "How 2 Slit Thr0@tz" and "How 2 m@k3 a 1337 su1c1d3 v357" videos now.

No word on "Leave Osama Alone" and the "You suk at videoediting" tutorial series.

Google News helps United time travel, lose money

Google News ran an article about United Airlines from 2002, when the airline was on the verge of bankruptcy, as today's news. The story was quickly picked up by other new aggregators and, efficient markets being what they are, lead to United stock dropping from $12 a share to $3. The stock managed to recover to around $10 per share, but for a time, United lost $1.14 billion. The company is still out $300 million, and the executive medical bills are likely to be staggering.

Larry Craig: Foot-tapping covered by First Amendment

Minnesota's favorite Senator is back in court with yet another argument. This time: that foot-tapping and hand signals are covered under the First Amendment.

Hallucinogen, Salvia under fire, attempts to criminalize

The relative of mint, Salvia, is facing criminalization attempts in several states as citizens and legislators become aware of its growing use. The herb provides a very short but very intense period of hallucination when smoked or consumed.

"there are no studies suggesting salvia is addictive or susceptible to overdose or abuse. Indeed, a salvia experience can be so intense, and at times so unsettling, that many try it just once, and even devotees use it sparingly.

Reports of salvia-related emergency room admissions are virtually nonexistent, probably because its effects typically vanish in just a few minutes."

In spite of this current evidence, it seems that legislators are afraid of anyone having a mind-altering experience that doesn't involve religion.

XKCD: Still Raw

Sometimes, time does not heal all wounds.

Classic Cocktail: The Rusty Nail

Wondering what to do with that bottle of Drambuie you've had sitting in your cabinet since last Christmas? Try the Rusty Nail on for size. This is a sweeter cocktail, traditionally drunken after dinner.

2 oz. Scotch Whiskey
1/2 oz. Drambuie

Pour over ice and stir gently until glass is frosty.

Mortgage bail-out yields economic boost

The US Government took over the ailing mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the largest bail-out in US history. The US taxpayers are footing the $200 billion capital injection that will keep the two giants solvent. While the move rewards reckless investing, it probably beats the potential alternative of a collapse that would lead to a major upheaval in the financial markets.

"[US Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson said the government was intervening in the wider interests of the financial system and of taxpayers since the financial position of the two firms was fast deteriorating. "

No word on how they plan on instilling financial savvy and a basic understanding of mortgage rates in the common homeowner.

That dress better be made of freakin gold... or oil

Michelle Obama's dress on "The View": $150
Cindy McCain's dress at the RNC: $300,000
Wearing a dress 3x the amount of my college loans then pretending to understand the plight of middle class America: Priceless

Full Story

XKCD: House of Pancakes

Dude, I don't even know.

Daily Show: Hypocrisy and sexism

Now that there is a female vice presidential nominee for the Republican party, many are changing their tunes. As always, the Daily Show is there to highlight political folly and to document blatant hypocrisy with video evidence.

Who you gonna call?

People magazine is reporting that Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray are working on Ghostbusters III. In other news, the Catholic church has moved the Holy Ghost to and undisclosed location.

It's alive! The Honda Insight returns to the land of the living

After introducing America to the first hybrid sold here in 1999, Honda eventually laid to rest the Insight model in 2006. Since then, Toyota's Prius hybrid has taken the market, and Honda is resurrecting the Insight, replete with a full redesign including more room. Again, it will be an exclusively hybrid model, but this time around, Honda promises that it will be significantly more affordable than any hybrid currently available. Here's to progress!

Kucinich at the DNCC - no, he really did speak

Love him or hate him, the Gentleman from Ohio is still fun to watch. Dennis Kucinich gave a fun and exciting (excited?) speech in which he "goes after Bush, McCain, oil companies, war contractors and health insurance firms..."

Its like a jet-ski but way more badass

45 mph above water and half that below. If anyone is looking ahead at Christmas, I would love a pair. Just sayin'.

Oil drilling in the United States

A little perspective.

XKCD: Aversion Fads

Oh my god... furries.

Barack Obama Completes Us

Imagine how boring this would be if this were John McCain.

DIY: Biomass Gasifier

No, this doesn't necessarily involve your friend's chili and a lot of beer (though it could). A biomass gasifier is one more way you can try to go off-grid in an environmentally sustainable way. Tired of ridiculous energy bills? Then use those old "wood scraps, yard waste, and corn cobs" etc. you have lying around the backyard to your fiscal and metaphysical advantage.

Gustav threatens GOP convention

Hurricane Gustav is showing that while he may not be a Democrat, he's certainly not a Republican as he threatens to disrupt the RNC Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota this week. Looks like the Focus on the Family voodoo practitioners accidentally got their "God bless the GOP" and "God rain down thy fury upon the Democratic Convention" prayers mixed up.

Divine justice? I won't go quite so far, but it is certainly a healthy dose of irony for the week.

XKCD: X Girls Y Cups

A statistical analysis of Girls, Cups, and Google.

Vladimir Putin accuses Bush of provoking Georgia conflict to help John McCain

I won't touch this with a ten foot pole.

How to protest a national political convention

You see that there? That is a bong. A bong in the shape of John McCain's head.

Senator Casey's DNC speech

Senator, thanks for a great speech. Don't take this the wrong way, but you are the perfect dorky-dad of Democratic Politics today. And I love it.

THIS JUST IN!

We now turn to Captain Obvious for yet another breaking news article: uninsured people may receive less health care than insured people! Apparently, we needed a study to tell us that uninsured people, on average, accrue fewer health care costs over the course of a year. And here I was thinking that not having health insurance was the perfect excuse to spend multi-millions of dollars in well-child visits and elective surgeries and then declare bankruptcy.

Bad Boys and Puppies...

This just makes me incredibly happy! :-)

Joe Biden picked as Obama's sidekick.

Barack Obama announced his running-mate selection in the middle of the night by text message and its Joe Biden!

After weeks of speculation and an utter frenzy, Biden will be traveling to Illinois today for his first appearance with Senator Obama. Until then you can catch up on some of the commentary. Or watch a streaming live picture of Joe Biden's house. In related news, its reported that Senator Biden knows how many homes he owns without needing to consult staff.

Maybe jumping on a bandwagon wasn't the best idea...

Well after two years of young girls and their families being inundated with the scare tactic marketing campaign for so-called cancer vaccine Gardasil based on less than 7 years of research, people are just now wondering if this unnecessary and under-researched vaccine is cost effective, or even if it actually has along-term effect on preventing cervical cancer.
If you are interested in my rant, keep going. Otherwise just go to the full story here.

So what clued you all in that we might be jumping the gun a little? Was it pumping 12 year old girls full of a deactivated STD without any hard proof that it really does what it's supposed to, or was it the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent per girl without any real research to stand on?
And for the record, despite the marketing, Gardasil is not a cancer vaccine, it prevents a virus that is usually cleared by the immune system on its own, but in very rare cases, sticks around asymptomatically, and in only some of those rare cases, has been linked (not proven to cause, just linked) to cervical cancer. And this is worth the risks of a vaccine, the cost of a vaccine, and causing every girl in the country to lose her ability to have her body fight this virus on its own? How about instead, we make sure that all girls get affordable and frequent pap smears to catch any abnormality early instead of spending millions in research and marketing to possibly prevent some rare occurance?

Sorry for the long rant, full story at the New York Times here

Congresswoman Jones has died.

As a follow-up to reports that the Congresswoman from Ohio has suffered an aneurysm today, CNN now reports that she has died this evening.

About 150 died while taking off in Madrid

A Spanair flight crashed shortly after take off this morning, resulting in a horrific mess and nearly 150 dead so far. The flight was carrying 175 passengers to the Spanish Canary Islands, off the West African coast. The struggling airline already had to cancel 3,300 flights earlier this year due to a maintenance problem with its fleet.

Barajas International Airport in Madrid is the fourth-busiest in Europe. The same airport was the location of the 30 December 2006 carpark bombing that left two Ecuadorians dead[a day or so before I came back to the US via Barajas].

An airplane accident of this magnitude hasn't been seen in quite a while and it's a stunning reminder of that, while incredibly rare in the airline industry, when todo va a mierda, va por seguro.

And People are Just NOW Noticing??

This commentary seems like old news, but apparently many American voters are either completely blind or just don't care.

I couldn't resist...

Many of you may have used the derogatory term "dickhead" to refer to someone who may deservedly have earned such a title. Others of you may have earned the title for yourselves.

However, it should be noted that real "dickheads" do exist in the wild, and may be spending some time this summer at a community swimming pool in your area.

Be alert and exercise necessary caution.

Hi-Res photos of the world's tallest skyscraper

The Burj Dubai is nearing completion at which time it will take the record as the world's tallest skyscraper. Gizmodo provides some breathtaking high resolution photos that give a better sense of the magnitude of this erection.

Car pool to the concert and cut the CO2

Wilco isn't the first rock band to encourage their fans to car pool on the way to a concert, but they've provided a facebook application that hooks up drivers and passengers. Transportation to and from concerts is a large contributor of green house gas emissions, so this is just one more way that people can reduce their carbon footprint. Unlike the awkward car pools with strangers that you get through the DOT, this method offers to bring together different people connected by their mutual love of the music. I hope to see this implemented with other music groups in the near future.

Internet radio powerhouse Pandora might go under

Due to rising royalties and stagnant revenue, the awesomeness that is Pandora might be no more. There was a brief scare a few months ago, but this time it seems like the record industry means business. They're charging more in royalties than even traditional radio stations pay and Pandora simply won't be able to make bank.

The beauty of Pandora is that it uses the "Music Genome Project" to determine what music a listener might like. I have been a fan and user for a few years now and I would be sad to see such a great service go.

XKCD: RBA

While I prefer the classic "Reverse Full House," I'll occasionally pull out the "Reverse Family Matters."

Wind Power Makes People Angry

John Yancey is enraged that his father allowed wind turbines to be built on their land. He admits it is good, clean energy being pumped into the grid, and doesn't even mind the $6,600 per year he receives for EACH turbine on his family's land.

"Dad taught us such respect for the land. For my father to be part of this ..." His voice trails off and he shakes his head and walks away.

Uhmm... Mr. Yancey, I think your father has a lot of respect for the land. Your turbines are creating clean energy without harm to the land around them. Sure the 'woosh' is loud, but I live in the city and I've gotten used to the loud music of my neighbors. It would be no different than living next to a highway or any number of other things man, or naturally created that produce sound. You simply adjust.

Simply put, what a d-bag.

Avoid cars while riding a Segway

Apparently, if you're riding a Segway and hit a car or other stationary object at full speed, it hurts... a lot. Thank Gott we have Der Spiegel to bring us this hard-hitting news.

Russia could strike Poland over U.S. shield

And George W. Bush could announce he was full of crap the whole time and resign, but I don't see that happening soon either. Russia is not happy with the US putting part of its missile shield in Poland.

"The USA is engaged in an anti-missile defence for its own government, and not for Poland. And Poland, in deploying (elements of the system) opens itself to a military strike. That is 100 percent," Interfax quoted Nogovitsyn as saying.

This could have made me much more intimidating in the classroom

Teachers in Texas will now be able to carry firearms in the classroom in an effort to prevent school shootings.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/15/gun.toting.teachers.ap/index.html

Whiny wrestler tosses medal in disgust

It seems that we have reached the height of childish behavior in what is supposed to be the ultimate in sportsmanship. Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian threw his bronze medal on the floor during the medal presentation before storming off. His coach complained that the fact that his wrestler lost was all politics. I guess the Chinese gymnasts aren't the only babies in the Olympics.

Full story here

WAIT...what??

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/15/us.russia/index.html

'In Washington, President Bush on Friday chided Russia for Cold War-style behavior, saying, "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."'

XKCD: Voting Machines

Big Foot? or Chewbacca?

I heard them talking about unveiling the DNA of "Big Foot" on the radio this morning. I thought it had to be some huge joke until I checked the news at work. Still could be a joke--but it would be an interesting find...

US Diplomatic Relations Strained by Georgian Conflict. Funny, US Domestic Relations strained by George-ian issues too.

The New York Times is carrying news that the holy-crap-Russia-is-still-the-USSR incident is causing the Bush administration to rethink its policies with the nation whose biggest claim to fame is 'most time zones'. I have two comments:

Academia: The End of History my arse, please refund my textbooks.

George Bush:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue."

...

"I was able to get a sense of his soul."

Oh Boris Yeltsin where are you?

Speaking of the Colbert Report: the CR "bump"

Democratic politicians report a 40% increase in campaign contributions in the month following appearances on the Colbert Report. Republican politicians... closer to zero.

"Moreover, even a cursory analysis demonstrates that despite being a comedy program The Colbert Report appears to exercise 'disproportionate real world influence' — likely due to the 'elite demographic' of its audience."

That's right - I'm elite. In your face.

As featured on the Colbert Report!

I had to do it...

Escaped 'giant poo' causes chaos

"A giant inflatable dog poo has caused chaos, breaking windows and pulling down power lines, after it flew away from an outdoor exhibition.

The artwork by American artist Paul McCarthy blew away from a Swiss museum, living up to its title...

Complex Shit."

http://livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/08/12/Escaped_giant_poo_causes_chaos

iReport gets better and better

For those who don't know iReport yet, it's a Web 2.0 division of CNN wherein users can upload their own stories, pictures, videos, etc. I'm sure you're all at least passingly acquainted. But does this really qualify as news?

A father, having warned his children repeatedly about their behavior while playing the X-Box, took the machine from them and nailed it to a tree. See the picture.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-60244

W... T... F?

Don't worry - they have a plan

The CERN Large Hadron Collider is set to go in October, potentially leading to the discovery of the so-called "God" particle, simply advancing science and the human body of knowledge, or accidentally creating a black hole and slowly but surely destroying life as we know it as it is consumed by an ever-growing pit of nothingness.

Fear not! They have a plan and a series of fail-safe devices set to prevent the latter from occurring. From the ministry of helping you sleep better at night: Dr. Higgs or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the LHC

The End of the Affair

On the Fox News Show, Hannity and Colmes, the conservative pundits declared Edwards unfit to serve based on his infidelity. Liberal strawman Alan Colmes grew a set during a segment on the John Edwards affair and pointed out that Senator McCain cheated on his wife after she had faced her own crippling ordeal in a car accident. Sean Hannity returned with the classic "if you spent 5 and a half years getting tortured for your country in a Vietnamese POW camp" argument. I must have missed that caveat in the marriage vows.

John McCain plagiarizes wikipedia to address foreign policy crisis?

Is it possible that a presidential candidate would rip off wikipedia to address the Georgian-Russian crisis? Recently a wikipedia editor started asking questions, you decide.

Finally a presidential ticket that can get you a toe, by three o'clock

"Also dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature"

Want this on a T-Shirt?

Hungarian weightlifter turns his elbow around 180 deg.

I feel so bad for this guy.

Classic Cocktail: The Sidecar

This delightful little drink originated either in London or Paris as "The Great War" was winding down. The drink is allegedly named after the sidecar its inventor rode to and from the bistro where the drink was invented. Its primary ingredient is Brandy and it is served in a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass with a lemon rind.

1 part brandy or Cognac
1 part Cointreau (or other triple sec)
1 part lemon juice

"Mix the ingredients in a shaker half full of ice. Strain and serve in a sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a strip of lemon rind"

A votre sant!

Russo-Georgian conflict may affect ISS

The Russo-Georgian conflict has ripples affecting the region and the rest of the war. Those ripples may be extending into outer-space vis a vis the International Space Station. Of particular concern is the fact that the Space Shuttle is quickly approaching retirement, which means travel to and from the station will rely almost exclusively on the Russian Soyuz rockets.

Full story and additional commentary courtesy of our friends at /.

XKCD: Freemanic Paracusia

Ever since I was a little boy, people have enjoyed the sound of my voice...

China puts best foot forward, crushes small child's dreams...

"A little girl and her song captivated millions of viewers during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. But what they saw was not what they heard.

Games organizers confirm that Lin Miaoke, who performed "Ode to the Motherland" as China's flag was paraded Friday into Beijing's National Stadium, was not singing at all."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/12/oly.kids/index.html

Wow, China...

UPDATE: More falsehoods present in what was thought to be the one of the best, if not the best, Opening Ceremonies in history.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/08/12/fake.fireworks.ap/index.html

"Beijing organizers confirmed Tuesday that some of the fireworks display featured prerecorded footage.

Fireworks that burst into the shape of 29 gigantic footprints were shown trudging above the Beijing skyline to the National Stadium near the start of the ceremony.

Though the footprint-shaped fireworks were real, some of the footage shown to television viewers around the world and on giant screens inside the "Bird's Nest" stadium featured a computer-generated three-dimensional image."

Michael Phelps is the Incredible Hulk

Not really, but he won his second swimming gold medal of the 2008 Summer Games in a thriller of a 4x100 relay.

"Few sporting events live up to the hype -- this one exceeded it. The 32-year-old [American Jason] Lezak was nearly a body length behind [Frenchman Alain] Bernard as they made the final turn, but the American hugged the lane rope and stunningly overtook him on the very last stroke."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/10/phelps.usa.relay.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Now you can be in debt too!

American culture has been exported to all sorts of countries for years, but now many of them are getting another fun and fundamental part of Americana: the credit card.  Of course, these places aren't blank slates, and many like to incorporate parts of their own culture.  Enter: the turkish credit card debt honor killing.

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes Dies

The legendary soul singer, winner of Grammies, and perhaps is remembered even more for his role on Southpark as the voice of Chef, has passed on today.
His relatives found him collapsed next to treadmill in his home. Local medics tried to revive him at the scene but were unsuccessful.

Hayes was 65.